The Holly and the Ivy
by DrawMeASheep
Summary: Post Newborn King. Ziva and Tony experience Christmas a la Gibbs.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I like Times New Roman. There, I said it. Also, I find fonts with no serifs disconcerting.

Spoilers: _Newborn King_. From right near the end until things that happened after the credits rolled, and therefore never happened.

Summary: Fighting hurts. Ziva and Tony enjoy/endure Gibbsian holiday cheer.

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><p>Ziva groaned as she pushed herself into a sitting position against the counter in the market of the service station, annoyed that it had come to blows. She was going to have to spend a <em>lot<em> more time on the range if she couldn't score a single hit in twenty-one chances. At least the creep was unconscious now. He should probably be restrained before he woke up. Same for the one lying in the snowy parking lot. She would need Gibbs' handcuffs for that. Well, one step at a time.

The first jolt of pain hit her as she reached for the cuffs clipped to her belt. Why did an adrenaline rush have to wear off so damn quickly? She attempted a deep breath and immediately regretted it. An exhalation relieved the majority of the pain, but some lingered. Rib injuries were among her most hated. She hadn't felt anything crack during the brief struggle, but she hadn't exactly been focused on herself at the time. After a more tentative breath, she determined that it was her right side. On the fifth night of Chanukah she would finally be receiving a gift – painkillers and icepacks. From herself or possibly an ER doctor.

The man on the floor moaned softly, interrupting her self-pity, so she delivered a kick to his temple to silence him. The action caused her a disproportionate combination of discomfort and satisfaction. She noted as she pulled her leg back that there was a small pool of blood forming around his arm. Twenty misses out of twenty-one shots was still bad, though. She might have to put off that time on the range, but at least she'd inflicted more damage than she'd sustained.

Putting off major movements for a few moments longer, she turned her head toward the open door leading to the garage where she could hear the baby crying. Had she left that door open? She blinked as Gibbs suddenly knelt beside her. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Fine. Just some…bruises. How is…?"

"Both fine. I'm sure you can hear her complaining about the cold from here."

The hitch in her breathing was more the result of surprise than pain this time. "A baby girl?"

"Yep. Beautiful." It was hard not to smile back at Gibbs' obvious delight. It didn't last long as his gaze drifted toward the unconscious man. "Just him?"

"There is another one by a black SUV in the parking lot. I did not get a chance to restrain him, but it should not be a problem for another few minutes, at least."

"I'll take care of it. You get this one." He stood and took a few steps toward the door before turning. "You sure you're okay?"

"As I said, just…"

"We gotta take Reynolds and the baby to the hospital."

"I know."

"I'm just sayin' it's a good chance for you to get checked out. Since we're goin' anyway…"

"Right."

He turned again before he pushed the door open. His smile had returned. "Amira will be upset if you aren't there tomorrow…"

She sighed, not wanting to fight anymore tonight. "I will get an x-ray."

"Good. I'll be back in a minute. Cuff that dirtbag."

A cold breeze blew through the store as the door caught on a pneumatic hinge, causing her an uncomfortable shudder. She held her breath as she hurried through the process of restraining the unconscious man. She didn't bother to turn him onto his stomach, but moved his arms awkwardly into position while avoiding the expanding blood pool. She had to complete only one agonizing cycle of inhalation before she was able to return to her former position against the counter. If only there were a simple way to stop breathing that didn't also involve dying. Or a knee pressed to one's larynx until one lost consciousness.

She was thinking long and hard about standing up when Tony and McGee burst through the door, weapons drawn. Their aim jerked toward her as she rose with some trepidation. "It is just me."

McGee immediately lowered his SIG, but Tony changed his target to the man at her feet. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Outside in the parking lot with the other mercenary. You did not see him?"

Tony jerked his head toward the door. "Probie, go check on him."

Ziva was about to protest when she realized he was talking to McGee, who was already running for the exit. Tony continued to watch her while maintaining an unwavering grip on his weapon. She eventually said, "Lt. Reynolds and her baby are safe."

"Yeah, I figured Gibbs wouldn't have left the pregnant lady unless everything was…okay. Is that guy dead?"

"No." She raised an eyebrow. "I am sure he will wake up at some point."

"Just checking." He smirked at her.

She realized that the baby was no longer crying and there was no reason for Tony to know she had been born. "Lt. Reynolds had a girl. She appears healthy."

Tony's smirk was replaced with shock. "You delivered a baby then kicked a guy's ass?"

"No, Gibbs delivered the baby and I…kicked two guys' asses."

"I'd say it was a Christmas miracle if I wasn't so used to you and your ass-kicking ways. Gibbs the OB, though. That's a new one."

"All I had to do was catch, DiNozzo. The lieutenant did the hard work."

"Course, boss. Didn't mean to, uh, disparage the, uh, watermelon through the straw."

Ziva made the mistake of giving a snort of laughter as Gibbs leveled a stare at Tony. "Call a rescue for Lt. Reynolds. Ziva and I can take her to the hospital while you and McGee get our suspects back to NCIS. And call Maryland State Troopers to secure the scene."

Tony gave Ziva an odd look, but nodded. "Sure, boss. Should we let the EMTs take a look at…right. Back to NCIS with the bad guys. No problem. Guy outside unconscious too? Of course he is. I'll go help McGee. You'll sign off on my chiropractor visits, right, boss?"

"DiNozzo…"

"Helping McGee, boss!" He didn't look back again as he bolted for the door.

Two hours later, Ziva was half-dozing on a gurney behind a curtain in a fairly inactive emergency room. She didn't open her eyes as she heard shoes squeaking on the tile approach her bedside. As far as she was concerned, anyone who wanted blood or vital signs or whatever could have them. After a few minutes, she recognized Gibbs as he cleared his throat. She reflexively muttered, "I am fine."

"X-ray says different."

"Hm." She kept her eyes closed.

"Even I can see something wrong with at least three of 'em on here."

She finally looked where he was pointing and grimaced. The ER doctor had indicated the same spot when she'd been in some time earlier. Ziva knew didn't have a flail chest, which she'd learned more than enough about during her last serious rib injury, so she had ignored most of what the doctor had said about atelectasis, suction and surgery. She was really just waiting for a prescription for painkillers and a ride home at the moment. "Gibbs…"

"I'm not goin' anywhere. Leyla'll understand."

"No, I just need some rest."

"That's why they have rooms with beds here, Ziver."

"I am not staying in a hospital."

"Oh, no?"

She tried to sit up to confront him more effectively, but ended up gasping in pain while he prevented her from falling off the gurney. She gritted her teeth. "Tonight I am going home and tomorrow I am watching Amira open her presents. I did not wrap them for nothing."

"You do know she can open them later, right?"

She fought against Gibbs' resistance as she tried to stand. "I just want to go home."

"You're all set to go," the doctor said, appearing around the curtain. "You can get this prescription filled at the hospital pharmacy or at a 24-hour place if you're headed closer to the city."

Gibbs took the slip. "You're sure she doesn't need to stay?"

"No, she just needs to take it easy for a few weeks while she heals."

Ziva bit back the urge to mention that she was still there while Gibbs shook hands with the doctor. He turned toward her. "Well, let's go."

"You are not going to…"

"If you need help walking out of here, I'm just going to go find that doctor and convince her to admit you."

She stood and took a few careful steps. "All right. Let's go."

Gibbs did help her into her jacket so she didn't have to raise her arms too high.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony sat quietly in the passenger seat of Gibbs' car in spite of the fact that he was getting more and more confused by the minute. Were they there yet? Would it be okay to put some Christmas music on the radio? Was he going to be in trouble for not getting a gift for the kid? Or some kind of side dish for dinner or dessert? He hadn't even thought to grab a bottle of wine; God knew he had plenty at home. He'd kept buying even though he wasn't drinking as much anymore and his rack was getting close to overflowing. Maybe Gibbs would be willing to swing by his place so he could pick up a bottle or two. Was it white or red with lamb? His uncertainty came to a head when they pulled up outside of a familiar building. "Are we here?"

"Do I look like I'm still driving?"

He took a moment to look around at their location to make sure he wasn't imagining himself in the wrong spot. No such luck. "Leyla got an apartment in Ziva's building? Weird."

Gibbs gave him a look that caused him to duck a headslap that never came. "We're here for Ziva. Go upstairs and help bring Amira's gifts down."

Great. And Ziva had probably baked a cheesecake or something, too. Yeah, he was definitely going to be the odd man out. Maybe she would put his name on one of her gifts… "How many presents is this kid getting? Your trunk is almost full already with the bike and stuff!"

"DiNozzo, I'm double parked. Just go up."

Biting back a protest about flashing his badge at any meter maid unlucky enough to be working on Christmas, Tony got out of the car and picked his way carefully up the icy stoop. He started to feel suspicious when his repeated buzzing at the front door went unanswered. This couldn't possibly be some kind of weird Christmas prank. No. He turned to shrug at Gibbs, looking for permission to return to the car, but got no response. Just as he was about to authorize his own retreat, someone exited the building. "And a Merry Christmas to you, too," he muttered to the sullen man who had brushed past him with no acknowledgment. At least he'd gotten in. He made his way quickly up the stairs.

There was again no response when he knocked on the door of Ziva's apartment. "Ziva, come on. I know you're home. I saw…" he trailed off as he realized he hadn't seen her car outside. In fact, the last time he'd seen it hadn't it still been parked in the NCIS lot? It had. He remembered thinking it was weird when he'd left this morning in spite of the fact that she had been conspicuously absent from the squad room. He began to knock harder. "Ziva? Hey, open up. Gibbs is waiting downstairs!"

He reached into his pocket for his phone, but encountered his key ring. This was a bad idea. He shouldn't even be carrying this key, much less be considering using it. No, no, no, no…aha! He hoped for a moment that the key he jammed into the lock was the wrong one and the mechanism would seize up, getting him off the hook for busting into the apartment. He was surprised to find the door opened before he'd also unlocked the deadbolt. He stepped around three large shopping bags stuffed with wrapped gifts in the entrance hallway. "Ziva?"

A weak protest came from the direction of the bedroom. "Go away."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily." He charged through the open door, not considering until he was already in the room that maybe CI-Ray had appeared in the middle of the night to…oh, thank God. Ziva was lying in bed – by herself – on top of the covers, fully dressed, including shoes. He cocked his head. "Weren't you wearing those clothes yesterday?"

"So?"

"Well, I just…thought I'd, uh, mention it?" He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, glad she had not yet opened her eyes. "Uh, Gibbs is waiting, so should I just bring those bags in the hallway down while you change?"

She sighed heavily. "Just take the bags and tell Gibbs I am sorry, but I am not coming."

"Oh, no. Gibbs told me to bring you and gifts down. No way I'm leaving with just gifts, even if it means I can take credit for them." Now that he said it out loud…

"Tony…"

The plaintive note reducing what he was sure was supposed to be a threat to a whine made him feel guilty. "Is it because it's Christmas? Because I'm thinking this is a strictly secular thing we're going to and…"

"It is because I have four broken ribs and it hurts to breathe."

That certainly explained why he was being allowed to remain in her bedroom without being the third man she'd knocked out in less than twenty-four hours. "Damn. I figured from the look on your face when I got there last night that the bad guy landed a punch or two, but…yow." He sat down carefully on the end of the bed. "Explains why Gibbs took you to the hospital instead of giving me and the Elf Lord a little support escorting two dangerous, albeit unconscious, suspects back to NCIS." He reached behind himself and grabbed one of Ziva's boots. "Goon One did wake up before it was time to settle him in a comfy Christmas cell, but he was pretty woozy and had that drunken stagger going on." The boot came off with a final tug and he dropped it on the floor so he could go to work on the other one. "Goon Two is in a secure hospital ward with a couple of agents who drew the short straw keeping an eye on him while he thinks about what a jerk he's…"

She finally interrupted him, "If you are not going to go away, could you bring me a glass of water and the bottle of pills by the sink?"

"Bathroom or kitchen?"

"Bathroom."

"'Kay." He tossed her boots into the closet on his way past. The bathroom was somewhat disarrayed. Not compared to his, of course, but for Ziva… He resisted the temptation to open the medicine cabinet as he filled up the plastic cup he found beside the toothbrush. It was a nice electric one. He wondered if he should make the switch, as his hygienist kept suggesting. He paused to sniff a bottle of soap or lotion that had been left uncapped. Nice. Subtle. Sandalwood?

"Tony?"

It was good she wasn't any shape to hit him. He grabbed the pill bottle beside the sink and dashed back to the bedroom, spilling only a little water on the way. "Sorry. I was, uh…"

"Snooping." Her face contorted as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"No, I just…well, I smelled the lotion, but that's not exactly…"

"Pills?"

"Oh, right." He set the water on the nightstand and wrestled with the childproof cap on the orange bottle for a moment. "There it is. Percocet. Heavy-duty stuff, huh?"

"Yes." She held out her hand and he shook two tablets into it. "No, just one."

"You sure?"

"I do not like the way it makes me feel."

"Besides the pain-killing, you mean."

"Didn't you say Gibbs was waiting for you?"

"I found a parking spot." Tony snapped his head around to see Gibbs standing in the doorway with his hands in his coat pockets. "How're you doin'?"

Ziva seemed to put an effort into smiling. "All right."

"Don't lie to me and don't get up. I grabbed an icepack from your freezer." Tony stepped out of the way as Gibbs helped her lie back down with the icepack under her right side. "DiNozzo, refill the water so she won't have to get up when she needs another pill."

"Uh, right boss."

He didn't stop to smell the lotions this time, but hurried back with the glass. Gibbs was tucking a blanket around Ziva. "Get some rest. You're out for at least a week."

"Gibbs…"

"Just means you'll have to work that much harder once you're back." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We'll bring Amira's gifts. Call if you need anything."

"Thank you, Gibbs. Merry Christmas."

Tony was left standing with the water as Gibbs walked out. He tried to tread softly as he moved to put it down. "Uh, yeah. Feel better. Merry Chr…er…"

"Just go, Tony."

He fled without another word, picking up the bag Gibbs had left in the hall. He caught him in the building's lobby. "I didn't realize she'd gotten that banged up yesterday."

"Yep. I didn't think she'd wanna get out of bed today."

Tony nodded for a moment as he pushed through the door into the cold. "Wait, you knew she wasn't coming? Then why'd you send me upstairs to get her?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I sent you upstairs to pick up the gifts. And I thought maybe you'd wanna say hi. Figured it might make you feel better to know there are people having a more miserable Christmas than you."

"Why would knowing Ziva's in so much pain she doesn't want to get out of bed make me feel better?"

He felt his head snap forward with the impact of the slap. "Perspective, DiNozzo. Now put those in the backseat. We're gonna be late."


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: Apologies for the wait between updates. I've been on vacation – actual vacation, not just from writing.

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><p>Ziva opened her eyes and checked the clock. She'd fallen asleep just after Gibbs and Tony had left over three hours ago. Her painkillers were still working, provided she stayed still and breathed only shallowly. They also left an unpleasant fog in her head that almost made her want to switch to something less potent. Almost. She pried the cap off her pill bottle and swallowed one of the tablets with the water Tony had left. There was no reason to give up on narcotics just yet, especially with no immediately foreseeable threats and permission to take some time off. In the meantime, she had more pressing concerns.<p>

She took an experimental deep breath and decided that a trip to the bathroom would be an even exchange of discomfort. Moving slowly, she made the short walk over the course of a minute. Gravity provided some much needed assistance with her pants; they remained on the floor when she stood and carefully stepped out of them. She was going to need a shower, so that just saved a step. She was definitely not looking forward to washing her hair. Her left arm could make it to about shoulder level before the pain started. Her right arm…maybe she could put off the shower, even if not for long.

With her bladder emptied, she felt a new nagging sensation in her abdomen. When was the last time she had eaten? Yesterday? She wondered if she should have just sucked it up and gone to Leyla's for dinner. It had been quite some time since she'd had lamb. Oh well. There was probably something in the refrigerator she could reheat. Naked from the waist down, she made her way slowly to the kitchen. It was only slightly chilly. She swiped at the thermostat to turn up the heat as she went past. If it didn't get warmer, she'd throw on an extra blanket rather than reach for anything again.

The only leftovers were two cartons of Chinese food she couldn't remember ordering. She picked out a container of yogurt with an expiration date that had passed only two days before and shuffled toward the sofa. She was sitting by the time she realized she didn't have a spoon. The yogurt went untouched on the side table as she began to feel tired again. The heat was slowly coming on, making her less aware of her bare legs. She tugged a blanket over them as an afterthought. Yawning was very uncomfortable.

Ziva was still on the couch when she inhaled the scent of male cologne before she opened her eyes. It was familiar and comforting. She was being held in spite of her unshowered state and her ribs didn't even hurt. Someone had turned off all the lights, save for a fire crackling in the grate. She snuggled closer without saying anything, warm and happy.

She jerked painfully awake as the phone on the table beside her rang. There wasn't even a fireplace in her apartment. She caught herself before yawning and picked up without looking at the caller ID. "Yes?"

A man answered cheerily, "Hey."

She had made the mistake of reaching for the phone with her right hand. It was definitely time for another pill. She gritted her teeth and said, "Hello."

After a pause he replied, "It's me."

Me? Who was me? It wasn't Tony. It wasn't McGee. Gibbs didn't call. Who did that leave? Whose cologne? The voice was familiar, but she was having trouble placing it. The number wasn't one she recognized when she quickly checked it. She just wanted to go back to sleep, with the fireplace and the cuddling and… "Okay."

"Well, that's not exactly the response I was expecting, considering we haven't been able to talk for months. I might get the impression you haven't missed me at all."

"Ray!" she cried with surprise, suddenly strangely self-conscious about the way she smelled. "I am so sorry. I was asleep, dreaming and the painkillers…" She trailed off, pleased that she could smile without pain. "I did miss you. I do. How are you? Are you coming ho…back soon?"

"I'm fine, and I'll be there as soon as I possibly can, but…painkillers?"

"It is nothing. Just a small rib injury. But how are you? Really? I know you cannot say anything about work, but you have been staying safe, yes?"

"Safer than you, apparently. How many did you break?"

"What?"

"Ribs. I know you wouldn't be taking anything to make you sleepy unless it's serious."

"I told you, it is nothing. A few weeks and I will be as good as new."

He didn't sound convinced. "Funny. I'm…well, I'm working but you're the one getting hurt."

She puffed up instinctively at the slight, turning her indignation into a stabbing pain. "You think I am not working?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that. It's just…I didn't expect to hear that something had happened to you when I'm the one in situations more likely to... Okay, I'm not gonna be able to talk myself out of this one without sounding like a jerk. I know you have a dangerous job. I guess I was just being…"

"Stop. Please. You do not have to worry about me. Gibbs and Tony were even here earlier to check on me."

"Even though you're fine, huh?"

"Perhaps I am a little sore, okay? But there is nothing I can do about it, short of waiting until they have healed."

"And how many of _them_ are there?"

She sighed, enjoying the release of the pressure that came with the exhalation. "Four."

"Ziva…"

"I told you…"

"I know. I just wish I was there with you."

They talked for a further ten minutes, avoiding any discussion of work. Ziva was more tired than ever when she finally dropped the phone on sofa. Anyone else who called could leave a message. She glanced at the uneaten yogurt and decided she could throw it out later. She pushed the blanket off her legs and stood. Maybe a bath wouldn't be too painful.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony took off his belt in the car outside Gibbs' house after saying goodnight and pretending, most likely futilely, that he was going straight home to sleep off his dinner. Leyla made some damn good lamb, among other various lumps, pastes and goos he hadn't bothered to ask for translations on. Better to just eat it, enjoy it, and shut up, then work out a few extra hours. Food always tasted better when you had no idea how many calories it contained. He shifted in the driver's seat as he took a corner a little too sharply and felt his stomach contents lurch in the wrong direction. At least he could say it had been about more than the food. Amira had been pretty cute opening her gifts, especially the ones from Ziva's bags unexpectedly labeled 'From: Tony.' He'd been able to enlighten those assembled about the educational and entertainment value of the Muppets on DVD and he hadn't even had to change any of the tags. At the very least, that deserved an in-person thank you.

He paused as he parked and considered unbuttoning his pants. No, that would be overkill. He jumped out of his car and hurried up the walk in the biting wind. For the second time that day, he used a key he'd never intended to use. Twice, since he didn't even bother knocking this time. He dropped his coat over the back of the sofa and called out softly, "Ziva? You awake?"

He turned down the heat as he walked past the thermostat in the hallway. It was sweltering in the apartment. "Ziva?" If she were asleep, he could leave a note. He pushed the bedroom door open and started to get nervous when he found the bed empty. He raised his voice, "Ziva? Are you here?"

"Tony? Is that you?"

Her voice was coming from the bathroom, so he stopped with his hand on the knob outside the closed door. "Uh, yeah. I thought I would, uh, drop by and, uh, I brought, uh, well, nothing, but…we could order something?" The thought of more food was almost enough to make him ill, but he wasn't about to run in on her in the bathroom or create a mess in her hallway. "Like…uh, Chinese? Or Thai?" Or just air. Air would be filling enough.

"Would you just come in here and help me?"

All thoughts about his overfilled belly disappeared in a flash. "In the bathroom?"

"Yes!"

"Is that, uh…"

"Tony…"

"Yeah, I'm…" He stopped dead as he opened the door. "Oh, bathtime. I should just…"

"I need your help."

He tried not to think about the fact that there were no bubbles blocking his view under the water – his very nice view under the water. Maybe it was just the light. "Am I being Punk'd?"

"What?"

"With the cameras and the lies and the Ashton Kutcher?"

She blinked at him, but seemed to decide that it would be pointless to ask for further clarification. "I dozed off in the tub and I am having…trouble."

"Uh…trouble? Did you lose Rubber Duckie?"

"I cannot get out."

He began to feel slightly lightheaded, which was odd because he'd had only one glass of wine with dinner. "You need me to grab you a towel or something?"

"I need you to help me get out of the bathtub."

"You…what?"

"It is simple English, Tony. I need your help. Now. The water is getting cold."

"Right. Right." He nodded. "Right."

"Well?"

"Oh, you want me to, uh…what, exactly?"

"First, can you pull the plug? I cannot reach it."

"Reach into the water?"

"If you are not going to help…" She grimaced as she tried to change positions.

"No, I'm helping." He pushed his sleeve up and plunged his hand into the water without thinking too hard about what else he was touching. Oh, slippery. And warm in the cool water. And Ziva's naked skin. Dear God. He found the drain plug and yanked it, along with his whole arm, out of the water. "Got it."

"Okay. Now can you help me stand?"

He took a deep breath and started attempting to name the entire fifty-three man roster of the Baltimore Ravens in his head. "Should I, uh, close my eyes or something?"

Her eyes searched his face. "It is nothing you haven't seen before."

"Uh, true, but, uh…that was a long time ago." The water was disappearing faster than he'd anticipated, not that it had been concealing much. Flacco. Reed. Lewis. Rice. Breasts. No! "And we were both single at the time, so it's not like there was any, uh…potential for…oh, you…here." He reached forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, being careful not to touch the angry purple splotches slightly higher on her torso. Suggs. Oher. Ngata. "Okay, one, two, three…uffh!" He staggered back slightly as he took on all of Ziva's weight, her body pressed damply against him as he lifted her over the lip of the tub. Boldin. Williams. Cundiff. Nipples. It must be colder than he thought in here. Awkward. He didn't let her go, however, even when he was sure her feet were firmly on the bathmat. "Okay. Okay. You good?"

"I just wanted you to help me stand and step out. But thank you."

He wasn't sure whether it would be better to step back and get a better view or stay where he was. "You should have a towel." And he'd thought his pants felt tight after dinner. Really awkward. He immediately stepped back and realized that wasn't going to help the situation. "Yeah, towel."

"It is on the counter."

"Yes."

"Could you hand it to me?"

"Huh?" That bruising looked painful, so she was probably going to need some help drying herself off. Touching through terrycloth might be a little less exciting. Might be. Towel? He grabbed it off the counter and tried to wrap it around her torso under her arms. "Oh, sorry."

"It is fine." She gave him a tight smile as she tucked the towel around her body. "Thank you."

"Uh, thank _you_. I mean, uh…are you just gonna air dry, or…"

She rolled her eyes. "Linen closet."

The next few minutes passed in a blur. He didn't really become aware of what was happening until he was trying to pretend he wasn't pulling up a pair of Ziva's pajama pants. Pink pajama pants. He'd picked them from her dresser. She obviously wasn't wearing any perfume, but he still could get enough of her scent. Whatever soap she'd been using in the bath was nice. He inhaled deeply, attempting to be discreet about it. He decided he couldn't keep his face buried in her neck indefinitely. "Shirt?"

"Second drawer."

He shuffled through a few things involving something called Real Madrid before lighting on a familiar logo. "Is this my Ohio State football tee?"

"Yes."

"This was in my Go-Bag in my trunk. How'd you get it?"

"It was that case when Gibbs and I had to stay overnight in South Carolina. I needed something to sleep in and I did not have anything appropriate in my car."

"So you robbed mine?"

"Robbed is a bit strong."

"Took from a place few people know without permission?"

"In that case, yes." She stretched her arms over her head and he obliged with the shirt. "You can have it back when I am finished with it."

"How generous of you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you wearing a new cologne?"

"Hm? Oh, it's Polo something. Not the old man one, but, uh, something some lady sprayed on me in the department store that I liked. Uh, you like it?"

"It is nice." She flopped into bed, frowning only slightly. "Could you get me a fresh ice pack?"

"Is that all you want?"

"Tony…"


	5. Chapter 5

Early morning light filtered through the curtains, which hadn't been pulled closed the night before. Fortunately, the bedroom window faced west. It was definitely early enough for a run before work. Maybe even too early.

No, wait.

Ziva considered her situation for a moment. She could lie in bed, enjoying the warmth no matter how late it got. She was in less pain than she remembered from the previous day, though she did catch herself before stretching out under the covers. Definitely no run today and no work either, though it was supposed to be a holiday regardless, as Christmas had fallen on Sunday. In fact, she wouldn't be back at work until after the New Year began. She suspected she would be doing a lot of paperwork through the month of January.

She did a quick self-assessment and found that she still couldn't breathe too deeply, but otherwise…there was just an unexplained weight on her abdomen. She turned her head to Tony, open-mouthed and drooling on the pillow as he snored beside her. Lifting up the edge of the comforter, she saw his hand resting on her stomach. She gently traced her fingers over his knuckles. His only reaction was to reach slightly further, fingers bending to conform to the curve of her waist.

She sighed and reached slowly toward his cheek. He was slightly stubbly. Nice against the palm if not the lips. Not that she had any reason to consider how his unshaven cheek and her lips would have any contact in the near future. Or any future. She withdrew her hand. "Oh, Tony. Why are you here?"

He murmured a few nonsense words that sounded like, 'Mud wrestling. Eggs.' She decided not to wake him, settling her hand on top of his on her stomach. She was quite warm and comfortable at the moment, and with no real reason to get up…

When she opened her eyes again, the light had changed from dawn to full-on morning. It was past the point of being late for work and almost to the time Gibbs would be putting out a BOLO if either of them were supposed to be at NCIS today. Her stomach growled and she remembered that it was much later than she usually ate breakfast and much, much later than…no, dinner had been skipped. She yawned too deeply and yelped at the sudden pain.

"You okay?"

"Fine." She waited until she could smile believably to turn her head. "You are awake."

Tony grinned, not looking like he'd just woken up. "Merry Day After Christmas."

"Boxing Day?"

"That was quick. Can't you put off hitting me until you're all better?"

She decided it would be better not to enlighten him about the true nature of Boxing Day. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, y'know, sleeping in, not wearing pants. The usual."

She didn't ask about his pants. "I mean why are you still here?"

"Well, after you went to sleep, it started to rain so I figured I would wait that out. Got comfy on the couch, watched some basketball…then I got hungry, so I ate a yogurt I found in the living room and some Chinese food from the fridge. I'm not sure which one made me feel queasy, but I was tired, too, so I tried to sleep on the couch but I was getting a kink in my neck, so I figured you wouldn't mind if I took this side of the bed and I fell asleep here and it was cold when I woke up so I just stayed under the covers because I don't have anywhere else to be right now."

"And your hand?"

"Hm?" He tapped his fingers against her stomach but didn't try to pull it away, so she didn't try to grip it. "Oh, well, when I came to bed last night, I'd been lying here about an hour or so and I realized you hadn't even tried to kick me, so I just wanted to make sure you were still breathing. You were so I dozed off again and…you'll notice it's on the outside of your shirt. I mean, _my_ shirt."

"I will wash it before I give it back."

"Eh, whatever. If you don't, I can wear it to work out and then the guys at the gym will think I got up close and personal with that one hot spinning instructor. She doesn't smell as good as you, but those jerks don't know that."

"And how do you know that?"

"Even if I weren't lying in bed with you right now, I'm around you all the time. It's hard not to notice that you smell nice. Most of the time."

"Um, thank you, but I meant…"

"Oh, hot spinner. She had a flat tire in the parking lot one night and I changed it for her. She wouldn't even buy me a thank you drink. Something about her husband being the jealous type. Although apparently not the able-to-change-a-tire type. Jerk just stood there with her and watched me! I wouldn't trust a personal trainer who can't change a tire."

"That was a…story." She decided to change the subject. "So what happened to your pants?"

"They're on the floor. Relax, I have boxers on." He wriggled closer to her, but his hand on her abdomen remained the only point of contact. "You can check if you don't believe me."

"I trust you. For some strange reason."

"Well, you haven't kicked me out of bed yet, even though I stole one of your shirts to sleep in." She frowned. Ray's t-shirt wasn't quite big enough for Tony's larger frame and appeared to be getting stretched out. She didn't mention it. He continued, "So is there a Fake Madrid that competes with this one?"

"It is football."

"Soccer, Ziva. You're supposed to be an American now. And you didn't answer the question. Or you can skip that one and tell me about this Sergio Ramos guy whose shirt you stole and hid with your pajamas. Ex-boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes. "He is one of the players." When Tony waggled his eyebrows, she added, "And, no, I have never dated a professional footballer. Besides, I am a Barça fan."

"Then how come you've got shirts for another team."

"Ray…" She swallowed hard as Tony finally pulled his hand off her stomach. "Ray is a Real Madrid fan."

He rolled onto his back so he was no longer facing her. "CI-Ray shouldn't be encouraging this fake football stuff. From now on, you're a Redskins fan. Or a Ravens fan. I'd go with the Ravens. Their season hasn't been over since…the beginning of the season."

She made an effort to roll onto her side. "You did not have to stay, but…I am glad you are here."

"Seriously?"

"What?"

He turned back onto his side. "No, I just thought you had broken ribs, but apparently there was some head trauma, too."

She punched him on the shoulder, but she couldn't put much behind it. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"How about I take you out for breakfast? If you feel up to it, I mean. I could always run out and get something."

"I think that may be the best idea."

"Real breakfast or donuts?"

"Surprise me."

"All right. Let me get my pants." He was fully dressed and out the door a minute later, only to poke his head back into the bedroom. "Do you need some water to take one of your pills?"

"I have some."

"Okay, be back in a little while." He was gone for only a few seconds. "Ziva?"

"Yes?"

He smiled. "Nothing."

She returned the smile. "You too."

The End


End file.
